Free For Good

I. We’re looking at what it means to follow Jesus as we study the letter written to the church at Corinth almost 2,000 years ago. They had a lot of questions about how to follow Jesus in their context, it was very messy because they were living a culturally captive Christianity based on things that they were believing about God, others, and themselves that weren’t based on Truth.

+ We are learning how to live as foreigners in this world yet as part of the family of God from many cultures and languages?

+ Over and over we see that we’re called to be different and that we should be concerned if our principles, passions & priorities look just like those who aren’t following Jesus!

+ We’re learning ways that we can keep growing to live out a biblical theology and kingdom lifestyle together...

+ We’ve covered lots of encouragements and challenges so far: Thank you for staying with us through the tough topics and leaning into deeper relationships and growth together.

II. Today Josiah was passionately presenting evidence about the games that he has available during screen time because he wanted games where you can explore and have greater freedom to move around that his current games didn’t let him do...

+ There are all sorts of games that capitalize on that desire for freedom (video, board, cards) - people even build their lives around games like that…they feel that they have more freedom or power than they have in real life…but the question is, what are you doing with that freedom? Are you lying, cheating, killing, engaging with witchcraft or sorcery, building up your own power at the expense of others, living for your own enjoyment and entertainment...or are you building, creating, bringing joy and peace to the lives of others? Are you living for eternity or for a game?

+ A lot of times people live this life like it’s a game. Looking for what serves their purposes the most…we want to be the ones who give definition to reality and decide the rules of how what is right and wrong…it’s moral relativism but it’s also very selfish…I am at the center of it all.

+ I DECIDE! But what is the good that comes from that?

+ In Corinth there were people living that way and there were others afraid to do anything in this life because they might be doing something wrong and they were missing out on the freedom that God had for them.

III.

1 Corinthians 7:25-39

+ Hopefully you’ve caught that Paul is saying that we actually have a lot of freedom, but that it’s not freedom to sin, but to do GOOD! Why would I want Freedom to do wrong? I used to be a slave to sin?

Stand to Read & Pray:

25 Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. 26 Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is. 27 Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife. 28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.

29 What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; 30 those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31 those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.

32 I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. 33 But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— 34 and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.

36 If anyone is worried that he might not be acting honorably toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if his passions are too strong and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married. 37 But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin—this man also does the right thing. 38 So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does better.

39 A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. 40 In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is—and I think that I too have the Spirit of God.

+ Paul is specifically addressing the ability to make decisions like marriage or singleness, but he’s doing it in the context of all of the ways that people had claimed to be free but were captive to the way of doing things around them, like how people used their bodies sexually and how they went in and out of relationships and didn’t understand covenant.

+ He’s speaking to those who are in a place of decision whether they will marry or not…people who are not under any compulsion in either direction.

+ There are other guidelines that he gives in other places besides here where it says that followers of Jesus should marry followers of Jesus…If you’re wondering what those things might be, shoot me a message and I can help you find some of those things in scripture, but that’s not the point of this passage.

+ Here he is saying that there is freedom to marry or not to marry:

26 Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is. 27 Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife. 28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned...

...38 So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does better.

39 A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord.

+ …He also adds: But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.

+ He tells them that he thinks that everyone should be free like him in singleness, but recognizes that it’s not for everyone.

Why?

32 I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. 33 But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— 34 and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit.

+ He’s saying that if you marry you will be faced with many more responsibilities that might distract you from obeying God completely…But it’s not just marriage that can do that:

+ pain, fun, belongings…anything that makes us forget that the time is short and that God has called us to use our lives for GOOD! For eternal good:

How should we live?

29 What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; 30 those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31 those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.

...35 I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.

+ Paul will continue to address the issue of how we use the freedom that God has given us…it’s not a freedom to do on sinning so that grace may about, that’s slavery to sin…He says again to those who were wondering later on specific issues that we’ll cover during Lent next year:

1 Corinthians 10:23–24 NIV

23 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. 24 No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.

1 Corinthians 10:31–11:1 NIV

31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God—33 even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. 1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

God wants us to walk in Freedom and gives us freedom so that we can do GOOD with our lives:

Ephesians 2:10 NIV

10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

The only way that we’ll get their is to submit our decisions to Him…to Seek Him first…To desire HIS will more than our own…HIS Kingdom and HIS righteousness more than our own Kingdom or our own desire to define righteousness on our terms!

+ We can have many plans, but following Jesus actually means following where He leads.

+ That requires trusting God and submitting to Him, believing that He will make our path street…that HE will be the one who leads us in the way that we should go (Read Proverbs 3 and 4).

God gives us freedom to make decisions…He wants us to be truly free. Bringing our lives into alignment with HIS truth, His definitions, designs, and desires…is the only way to be truly free…it’s when we’re free to fully function how we were created to function.

+ Airplanes are created to fly…they’re made for the skies, but they don’t make great boats.

+ If you try to live your life your own way and be the one who directs your steps and your decisions, you’re not any different than the world. Whether that’s your moral decisions or your decisions in what to do next in life.

…That’s like a plane trying to be a boat...

...but the fact of the matter is that God is the one who Designed it all…He wants us to be free!

He wants us to Move beyond Religiosity or Relativism to a Real Relationship with God!

To use our freedom for good!

+ A plane can do many things, and not all of them are good. Even if it sticks to the skies instead of the water, it can still do many things that aren’t good. God has created you for good in His Kingdom:

- Not be a slave to sin…not to bring brokenness and pain to the world in selfishness…but to love, to serve, to heal, to create, to share the good news with others, to make disciples, and more!

- There is no limit to what God can do with a surrendered servant who says “Here am I: Send me. Lead me. Use me.”

Invitation

Challenge

Prayer